The scene of the accident.
The incident occurred around 6 pm on May 7 on Hung Vuong Street, near Van Lang Park, during a rainstorm with strong winds. According to Le Bich Lien, Ward 9 People’s Committee chairwoman, the third-grader had just been picked up from Ho Thi Ky Primary School.
While the boy and his father were riding a motorbike, a tree branch, nearly 5 metres long and about 10 centimetres in diameter, fell from a height of approximately 20 metres. The father was unharmed, but the boy suffered a severe head injury and was rushed to Cho Ray Hospital.
Dr Le Hoang Tung Uyen, deputy head of the neurosurgical intensive care unit at Cho Ray Hospital, confirmed that the boy was admitted with traumatic brain injury. He is currently in a deep coma and on mechanical ventilation, undergoing intensive medical treatment.
The tree involved in the accident is more than 30 years old. Authorities have instructed the city’s tree management unit to inspect and trim branches in the area to prevent further incidents.
Falling branches and toppling trees during the rainy season are recurring dangers in Ho Chi Minh City. According to the city’s Green Park Company, approximately 7,600 trees over 20 metres tall are considered at risk of falling. However, inspections and maintenance have been hindered by a lack of proper equipment.
In September last year, a woman died after being hit by a falling branch on An Duong Vuong Street, also in District 5. A month earlier, another tragic incident occurred in Tao Dan Park in District 1 when a branch fell from a height of 25 metres, killing two people and injuring three others.
In response to these accidents, the city’s tree management department invited experts from Singapore last year to conduct training courses to improve the skills of staff responsible for urban tree care and safety.
